


The Last Symptom

by Martucinka



Category: Original Work
Genre: 2020, Boarding School, Coronavirus, F/F, F/M, High School, Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26476678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Martucinka/pseuds/Martucinka
Summary: During the coronavirus pandemic schools start closing up. However a high school in Gravenville, far from any other cities remains unaffected and continues to function as it did before. People all around the world are ready to do anything to join the corona-free world. As it is not possible in many cases, they change their goal to make the lucky ones suffer with them. Soon students at Gravenville need to try to protect their school from the virus.
Comments: 1





	1. Chapter 1

‘I know current circumstances are rough’ professor Roberts looked at the remaining five of his second year students ‘but you are extremely lucky to be here…we are all very lucky in this situation.’ although he was rough to them, he admired each and every one. Gravenville was a boarding high school for extraordinary students. Ran by teachers who retired but missed teaching so much that they decided to pass their knowledge to talented young people. Every year a group of 10 students was invited to begin studying there.  
‘Having that in mind, good luck on your assignment’ Professor Roberts continued. ‘Deadline is tomorrow. Aaron, hand it in when you’re back. Dismissed’.  
Students left the class impatient to confront Aaron. Once they left the classroom, they started.  
‘Explain’ Adam stood right in front of Aaron with the rest of the class by his side.  
‘There’s nothing to explain. I’m leaving today and coming back tomorrow’ Aaron stepped forward, pushing Adam and Lucas out of his way.   
‘What do you mean by that?’ Lisa was right behind Aaron who started walking away quickly. Rest of the group struggled to keep up the pace.  
‘You need to be quarantined. No one is leaving school right now’ Lucas raised his voice. ‘Everyone who left doesn’t come back. Are you gonna continue online? You know how many people wish they could be here, with everything being normal? What’s wrong with you?’  
Aaron stopped right before the exit and turned to face Lucas.  
‘Things aren’t normal’ he snapped. ‘We are here, free from the virus, acting like it’s not there. Meanwhile people are dying all around the world. It’s not normal at all.’  
‘Dude, we know…’ Adam started. ‘Everyone knows it’s there. It’s just…’  
‘Where are you going?’ Maria interrupted and the group looked at Aaron. His words before and that question made them feel something serious might have happened.  
‘My aunt’s funeral’ after his answer a couple of gasps were released. ‘It’s nothing serious for me, you know how my family is, I barely know her. My parents are freaking out a bit, want me to go back for longer than just a funeral and it does make me think that corona is not treated seriously enough… But don’t worry about me.’  
‘If your family is worried about you, tell them you’re safest here’ Lucas said. ‘This place is in the middle of nowhere, no one can get in without being tested or quarantined’.  
‘I won’t let them keep me away from here for longer than a day’ Aaron assured everyone and the determination in his voice convinced everyone he was right. ‘Ight Imma head out’ He cited with a smile on his face. Adam laughed, Lisa smiled, the rest had a slightly less worried but still not so at peace look on their faces.  
‘Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay the hell away from people’ Lucas warned.  
‘You know that I’m the best with the last one’ Aaron walked out of the door and turned over to wave at his friends. For a short while he locked eyes with Maria. She was waving quietly and seemed to jump a bit when he looked at her. Her pale skin, blue eyes… She looked like she had just finished running in snow with huskies by her side. It was fascinating how russian her beauty was. Aaron thought to himself: ‘Am I really going to spend two weeks in quarantine without seeing her?’ He knew he would break his mother’s heart if he didn’t go. One more second of staying like this and he was not gonna leave. Without much more hesitation, he walked to the bus station.


	2. Chapter 2

‘This guy…’ Adam fell on the bed with a sigh. ‘He really is going to come back huh?’  
Lucas was sitting on the other bed, Lisa was walking impatiently between them. Each room had 4 beds. Lucas, Adam and Aaron were roommates. Lisa and Maria lived in separate rooms with people who left when pandemic was announced. It was lonely so they very often stayed with each other.  
‘I’m gonna go check on Maria’ Lisa headed towards the door.  
‘Have you ever thought that she didn’t want to be bothered?’ Adam sat up and looked at the blonde girl already opening the door and leaving.  
Lisa was the type of person who was taking care of everyone. During the first weeks of the pandemic she was the unofficial health officer of the school. She made sure to disinfect every parcel that arrived, put the information signs across the school and convinced the principal not to let students go back after visiting other cities unless they get tested or quarantined. She ensured people kept a safe distance from each other and watched out for any symptoms. It made some people frustrated for a while, but if it wasn’t for her efforts the school would probably be closed.  
Standing in front of the dorm 23, where Maria lived, Lisa knocked quietly. She heard a message notification coming from the room before she heard a loud ‘come in!’.  
She entered and saw her friend sitting next to the desk with books in front of her and a phone in her hand.  
‘No way’ Lisa chuckled and approached the sink. After washing her hands, she covered her face with them in disbelief. ‘You got distracted? Are you playing a game? Texting?’  
‘I could be just googling something’ Maria joined Lisa in laughing. ‘So your whole effort to make that gesture would be a waste.’  
‘Nah it’s never a waste. Wash your hands till your skin gets dry. Then use a hand cream and keep going until there’s no coronavirus in the world’.  
After these words girls got serious.  
‘Do you think it will be gone anytime soon?’ Maria took a pencil in her hand and began spinning it. Lisa kept watching the trick. It always fascinated her but looked too difficult to try. After the pencil fell on the ground Maria cursed quietly, picked it up and looked at Lisa awaiting the response. In the meantime another message notification beeped from Maria’s phone that was now tucked under the textbooks.  
‘Hopefully’ Lisa said and frowned. ‘You haven’t been worrying about it before at all’.  
‘Yeah but I guess…’ Maria took a deep breath. ‘People are dying. It was all just a statistic before and now Aaron left for his aunt’s funeral. And everything just starts looking real for me.’  
‘Listen, he’s gonna come back’ Lisa knew that Maria was as empathetic as her. However she wasn’t as comfortable expressing it. On top of it Aaron might have meant something more to her.  
Maria shook her head confirming it was about him. ‘He’s gonna get tested?’  
‘It’s not that easy. I will try to make someone organize that’ Lisa smiled. ‘If not, he’ll need to spend two weeks isolated’ She walked closer to the desk and patted Maria’s shoulder. Another notification beeped. ‘So you are texting’ Lisa said curiously. She didn’t like gossiping that much, but she cared about her friends and wanted to know what they were up to.  
Maria took her phone and stared at it for a while before unlocking.  
‘You know Evin?’ Maria asked, raising Lisa’s eyebrows. ‘Year above.’  
‘Yeah, I do’ this took an unexpected turn. ‘He left when it started though, didn’t he?’  
‘Yes, he did’ Maria smiled slightly, still avoiding Lisa’s eye contact. ‘but he was curious how things were going here a couple of days ago and since then we’ve been texting.’  
‘Well that’s interesting’ as much as she wanted to protect Maria from getting heartbroken she was happy for her happily texting with someone. ‘Tell him you’re going to sleep. It’s getting late.’  
Maria smiled at her, watching her walking away. ‘Goodnight’ she said.  
Lisa opened the door and turned to respond but Maria was already typing at her phone, completely occupied.


	3. Chapter 3

‘First day without our man Aaron’ Lucas sat next to the table with Lisa, Maria and Adam that were already half-way through breakfast. Waiting for Lucas to finish meant spending another fifteen minutes at the table. And classes started in ten.  
‘We’re not gonna wait for you’ Adam said in disapproval. ‘Hurry up!’  
‘It’s fine’ Lisa took a spoon of cereal to her mouth and got everyone staring at her as she was chewing it.  
‘We’re gonna be late if we wait for him, how is that fine?’ Adam was still not fully awake to be fully expressing his emotions, but still Lucas knew it was better to stay quiet for a bit.  
‘You don’t have to wait, I will’ Lisa explained. ‘I have the first period free anyway. The principal wants to consult Aaron’s arrival with me’.  
Although it was impressive it didn’t come as a shock to anyone.  
‘Nice, nice’ Lucas said while putting peanut butter on his toast. Since the girl allergic to nuts from year below left, the school canteen had peanut butter available daily. ‘I’m gonna eat it on the way, I don’t want to be late.’  
‘True, that never happened in our class, did it?’ Maria asked, passing a plate with some bread crumbs to Lucas as she finished and he was making a mess. ‘Save the staff some work’ she said faking the disgust.  
‘Thank you’ Lucas chuckled and dug into the sandwich. ‘Aaron was late once, year ago. His parents visited.’  
‘They act like family is more important than anything’ Adam seemed more awake now as his face had an extremely focused look. ‘Meanwhile their relations with Aaron are terrible. He was so happy when the coronavirus saved him from monthly meetings with his parents and now they made him go to the funeral of someone he didn’t even know’.  
Adam was over-reactive sometimes. He was a very intelligent guy and him fighting for his point of view with all of his emotions could be beneficial. But in general he is known as the one who would have had the world conquered already because of his intelligence and charisma if it wasn’t for his passionate attacks.  
‘We better go’ Maria looked at the time and began cleaning up. Partially because it was getting late but also she tried to cut off the discussion. No one wanted to insult Aaron’s parents and that was the only acceptable response by Adam that wouldn’t trigger a monologue of how Aaron would be better off without them.  
‘Okay, I am really excited to contact people who will test Aaron, so I’ll be going. Enjoy period one!’ Lisa walked out of the canteen leaving the others behind.  
‘She’s really committed to keep everyone safe’ Lucas commented.  
‘Yeah, Aaron going on the trip was the last thing we needed now’ Adam was still frustrated.  
Once they left their plates and cutlery for cleaning, they started walking to their first lesson.  
‘I’m sure that with Lisa on the watch Aaron will be back safely’ Maria stated.  
‘Yeah but when?’ Adam sighed.  
‘What do you mean?’ Lucas frowned. ‘He’s gonna get tested and will be back today, right?’  
‘It sounds logical, but there’s more to organize’ Adam’s frustration changed to worry rapidly. ‘We’ll probably spend some time without him.’  
When they got into class and took their seats Adam curled his arms on the desk and rested his head on them.  
‘We’re getting more and more lonely here’ he whispered, hiding his sadness from the rest. ‘I wish people joined us in getting rid of corona instead of us having to deal with what is happening out there.’  
‘We could help spread awareness like Lisa did here’ Lucas started but quickly got shut down by Maria.  
‘Everyone just decided to ignore it. They’re desperate to have things back to normal. No one listens to the warnings, even if they’re fined. It gets the death of a loved one to understand how serious that situation is.’  
Adam put his face deeper in his shoulders and mumbled: ‘I hope Aaron comes back.’  
Lucas and Maria rushed to comfort him but the teacher began the lesson.


End file.
